Extending water use statistics to include all aspects of the water footprint will broaden the basis for the formulation of integrated water resources management plans and policies, improved water governance and sustainable development.
By looking only at water use in their own country, governments tend to overlook the question of whether national consumption is sustainable. Many countries have significantly externalised their water footprint without assessing whether the imported products are related to water depletion or pollution in the producing countries. Few countries that have externalised their water footprint fully understand their resultant dependency on foreign freshwater resources and overlook the potential risks this might incur.